The Sleeping Lion
by Kazu Darktoro
Summary: YuffiexLeon. Yuffie wants to ask out Leon, but will her clumsiness always get in the way? Hints of Clourith.
1. Exposed

Yuffie yawned, stretching. "aaah. What shall I do with myself too-day..." She got up, did her

morning exercises. There was a knock at her front door. She strolled over cheerily, opened it up. It

was Riku and Leon. "Hey, Yuffie. Feel like exterminating a few Hear-" Riku stopped mid-sentence,

eyes bulging. Yuffie followed his gaze.

Oh no. Not in front of these two. No. Way. Her houserobe was wide open. At least she had been

wearing shorts but the rest of her wasn't so lucky. Riku hadn't said anything, had merely burned red

and turned away. Leon however, was not so bashful. He had seen this happen a dozen times. She

was just so careless... "Uh, uh... I HAVE A LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS!" She slammed the

door in their faces.

Riku looked at Leon's expression of pure boredom. "This happens a lot?" Leon snickered. "She's a

sucker for attention. Just let her be for a while." They walked towards the marketplace.

Yuffie sighed. Did things_ever_ go well for her? It was bad enough that she was a total klutz, butshe

was terrible in the morning. She'd leave her brain somewhere in bed, and wander aimlessly til she fell

asleep again. It was great to be young. No expectations, and you had an excuse to be hyper. But

when she thought about Leon... she blushed red, even though no one else was in the room. She

walked up to the mirror in her bathroom, looked herself over. It _was_ true she had a nice body. She

had just never really thought about it before.

She finally dressed, after donning her usual outfit- green belly shirt, shorts zipped up, but not

buttoned, and of course her 4-point giant shuriken- and strolled outside, vanishing into the early

morning air.

The best thing, Yuffie thought, grinning, about being a ninja, was you could be totally unpredictable,

and do totally crazy things and no one would mind. It was in character for ninjas to be

mysterious.She stopped, appearing in a group of startled shoppers in the marketplace. Where was

Leon? Today was the day she'd finally ask him out. Would he say yes? She'd hafta be extra sneaky,

use her cute ninja girl charm.

"Leooon!" she yelled, tackling him stealthily.

"Ah!" she caught him off guard, fell on top of him.

"Ooooh. Owwies." She got off him, clasped her hands behind her back, hummed cheerfully.

"Ouch. Oh, hey Yuffie." He grinned slyly,said, "I see you're dressed now."

She burned, puffing her cheeks. "Hi, Riku." she said, still blushing and frowning at Leon.

"Hey." Riku smiled sheepishly. He suddenly seemed preoccupied with his hair.He wondered if he

should finally get it cut. A year in the dark realm hadn't stopped it from growing, it seemed. Leon

patted her head, almost like she was a child. "Hey, we were going to get some stuff at the shops.

Were you wanting to come?"

She poked him. "Well, duh!"

"Huh."Riku smiled. "Someone's embarassed."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am noooot!"

"Okay, okay, settle down, Yuffie."He laughed.

"Ooooh! Let's just go." She turned and slipped on aflyer on the ground. It was for a rave at that

new club that was opening. "You okay?" Leon asked, looking concerned.

If Yuffie had one thing going for her, it was that she was impulsive.

_I wonder if Leon's a good dancer?_


	2. Cloud Agrees

The rave was in two days.Yuffie had two days to ask Leon out, but she needed the right situation.

He was always with Cloud, maybe Cloud would know? She decided to try and find him.

After fighting through the ravine, Yuffie fell to her knees.

"THIS IS REALLY HARD!" She yelled to the crimson skies.

"Maybe you should try... asking for help?" came a quiet voice. She looked up, grinned.

"Cloud! Just the stiff I was lookin' for."

"Stiff-?" "See I'm lookin' for Leon. Have ya seen him?"

"I think he's with Aerith." Cloud said, a note of disappointment in his voice. Yuffie's brain clunked

along, putting two and two together.

"You're jealous, aren't ya?"

Cloud looked taken aback, blushed and raised his hands. "What? No. No no no. Nothing like that."

"I kneeew it. You're always lookin' at Aerith during the Committee meetings." It was hard to tell

what he looked like, his sweater zipped up and all, but Yuffie was sure he was burning red.

"Uhm-" "Help me break up Leon and Aerith and I'll make sure she falls for you!"

"Well, er-" "But we've only got two days, because then the rave is happening, which I want to ask

Leon to. Ooop!" She put a hand over her mouth. She hadn't planned to actually tell Cloud!

"Oh. So it's win-win, huh?" He closed his eyes, allowed himself a smile. "Alright, Yuffie. I'll help

you."

"Really?" She put on the cutest face she could muster, beamed.

"Sure. But I won't tell Leon if you don't tell Aerith. For both of us."

"Yup!" she nodded. "Everybody wins! I'm cooler than Aerith anyways. Leon deserves me."

Cloud just smiled. "Right."


	3. The First Move?

"So, explain to me again how this is supposed to help us."

Yuffie was standing on Cloud's shoulders, as she had been for some time. She was watching Leon and Aerith, who were fighting some

Heartless and talking. Cloud hacked away a shadow nearby and tried to look up several times, which only got him a swat on the head.

"NO PEEKING, MISTER."

Cloud blushed red. "I-I wasn't!" He paused, looking down. "So, what's our plan, anyways?"

"Hmm... well, I think we should try and get them apart, then you can take Aerith somewhere for a while and I'll grab Leon."

Cloud nearly dropped Yuffie from trying to turn around. "What! Wh-where am I supposed to take her?"

"I dunnoooo! That's your end of this." She seemed not to notice his concern, already waiting for him to go ahead of her. He sighed.

---

"Hey, Leon!" Cloud yelled, walking toward the two. Leon looked up.

"Oh, hey Cloud. What's up?"

Uhm, I was wondering if I could borrow Aerith for a bit..."

---I KNOW, I KNOW. This is filler and I should be shot. But I will be adding to this, don't you worry!---


	4. According to Plan?

Leon stared at Cloud curiously. "You... need to see Aerith... alone. You." Leon said

slowly, an amused smile on his face. Cloud sighed, glanced toward Yuffie's current

spot of hiding, behind a large rock.

"... Yes." Cloud burned. She owed him for this. Big time. "I just need to talk to her

for a bit."

Leon chuckled. "Well, I'm more intrigued as to why you're asking me. It's not like

you need my permission." he shrugged. Aerith stood humming, apparently unaware

that she was the topic of the discussion.

Cloud turned, if possible, even redder. "O-of course. Stupid me." He turned to

Aerith, who continued to hum, completely content.

"Hey... Aerith?" She stopped, tipped her head sideways, watching Cloud. "Yeees?"

"I'd like to go for a walk with you." She clapped her hands together. "Oh, alright.

That sounds nice, Cloud." Cloud wondered if she was smiling at the blush on his

face. "It was nice hanging out with you, big brother!" she said, waving back at Leon

as Cloud attempted to drag her away so that he could blushing so much. Damn that

little ninja! How did she always find ways to make him so- He stopped dead,

something clunking into place. "Wait." He spun around, flicked from Leon to Aerith,

then to Leon again. "You guys are... related?" Leon turned away suddenly, arms

crossed. "Oh," Aerith said, piping up suddenly. "I guess we never _did_ tell anyone,

did we, Squall?" Leon stayed silent, staring intently at a distant boulder.

"You can come out now, Yuffie." There was an audible squeak from the rock.

The young ninja appeared in a puff of smoke, fuming, fists at her sides.

"How come you never told me Aerith was your little sister?" She questioned, voice

high. He didn't turn to her. "It never came up. I never... saw a need to mention it, I

guess."

She sniffed. "I... I thought for sure you two were... y'know,a couple."

He turned, one eyebrow raised. "Even if we were, why would you be interested?" He

said, not quite sure if this was going in the direction he thought it was.

"Because... because I..." she closed her eyes. Not going as planned! But she had no

choice now.

"Because I love you!" she shouted, face bright red, arms tensed.

"I love you! I really do!" She ran over and hugged him tightly, afraid to look at his

reaction. It wasn't how she had planned on telling him, but she had said it.

"Yuffie..." she buried her face in his shirt, already expecting someone to laugh.

Laugh at immature little Yuffie. But no one laughed. Leon simply said quietly,

"...I love you too, but try not to mess up my shirt, okay?" She choked, part

laughter, part tearful. It was such a typical resonse from Leon. He always had to

play it cool.

Then again, that was why she had fallen for him in the first place.

------------

As it turned out, Leon had heard about the rave, from Sephiroth of all people.

"'_I'm not sure I'd go personally, too many people I'd be tempted to kill. And Cloud _

_would probably ruin all my fun anyways. But I'm interested in whether you even _

_dance at all, Leonhart._'" Leon recited his discussion to the others after the whole

drama was over. Yuffie frowned. "Why is Sephiroth such a big jerk?"

Leon leaned back against a wall, eyes closed.

"Ask Cloud. It's his darkness." Cloud frowned as well. "It's not like I feel up to

explaining it, either." Aerith smiled, said suddenly, "Cloud, would you like to come

with me to the dance?" He tripped and fell for no apparent reason. "W-what?"

"Oh, if you're busy, I understand." She put a hand to her cheek, eyes closed

disappointedly. "N-no, of course I'm not busy. I'll go with you, Aerith."

"I've never seen you dance, Cloud." Yuffie said, looking up at him. "That's because

I don't." Cloud said bluntly. He laughed amusedly. "But I've seen Leon bust some

moves. Course, he didn't know I was still there, because I was so quiet."

Leon stared at Cloud, his mouth half-open.

"You were... watching me when I was playing Yuffie's DDR?"

Yuffie jumped. "You were... playing on my DDR machine?"

Cloud jumped. "That was your DDR machine?"

Everyone stood there.

Aerith hopped and said "What's DDR?"


	5. Save The Last Dance

And now, for the one thing no Final Fantasy tale is complete without...

_(For a good effect, put on the Bizarro Sephiroth Theme, or any assorted battle music from FFVII. )_

Chapter 6: Save the Last Dance

The night was perfect. The moon was out. But they weren't there yet...

Cloud grinned, his temple throbbing as he swerved past an oncoming Heartless.

"Perfect... just perfect..." he muttered. A soldier lunged at the bike, rebounding off

the armoured side.

"Leon, Yuffie. You gotta fight these things off or they'll crash the bike."

They nodded. "You got it, Cloud!" Yuffie shouted, grinning from ear to ear as she

stood up on the back of the bike. "Come get some of the Great Ninja Yuffie!"

Leon unwrapped his gunblade from its cloth cover, steadying himself as he leaned

to the left and slashed a pursuing Heartless. Yuffie jumped up, leaning backward

slightly as she threw shurikens in all directions. "Ahh!" A Morning Star hit its fist to

her shoulder. "Owwies..." She slashed it away with her 4-point, stretching her arm.

"Darn you stupid Heartless! Grrr!" She whipped kunais at pursuing stragglers.

"Yatta!" They fell back. She threw her fist in the air. "Ha! Take that, you stupid

darkness things!" The bike hit a bump, and she wobbled on one leg. "Whoo-ooah!

Uh... I better be careful. Heheh..." she scratched her neck, embarassed.

Leon leaned, swung hard, pulling the trigger. "Can't this thing go any _faster_,

Cloud?" Leon said, a mocking tone in his voice. Cloud sighed, smiling. "Why should

I? You two have something to do together. You should be happy." He sped into an

alley, weaving between Nobodies lurking in the shadows. "I never really agreed to

all this. But she acts so innocent, seeing her sad just breaks your heart." He

slashed away a Dusk. "_'Breaks your heart.'_ Riiiight. You just don't want her telling

everyone she's in love with you." Cloud slipped his sword seemingly from nowhere,

brought it swiftly across three Neoshadows. "Well, she shouldn't anyways. It's not

something anyone would really be able to help with." Leon simply shot away a

Surevillance Bot, as he stretched. "Are we almost there, Cloud?" Aerith said,

clinging tightly to him. "Yeah. It's right up ahead." The rave was being held at the

Marketplace, where dark lights and tables with drinks and such had been set up.

"One last dash and we'll be there."

As they sped up, their attackers fell back and a black Guard Armour landed heavily

in front of them. "Dammit!" Cloud said, screeching left as he tried to get around.

Yuffie, not seeing, didn't expect the sudden turn and lost her balance, falling right

in front of the monstrous Heartless. "YUFFIE!" Leon sat up, leaping off as Cloud

swung the bike around.

"Oww..." she sat up, rubbing her head. "Great, thanks for the warning..." Leon ran

toward her. "Yuffie! Look out!" She looked over, her eyes widening as one of its

Gauntlets flew at her. "Leon..." The gunblader watched, as it crashed into her, dust

and debris flying. "Yuffie! YUFFIIIE! No..." Then he saw smoke appear, and she ran

out of the impact, totally safe.

"Cmon, I'm tougher than that. Now HELP ME. I'm in dangerrr"

He grinned, eyes closed and his temple throbbing. "The things you do to me..." He

ran forward, as they stood together watching the monster. It spun its hand around,

slashing at them. Leon deflected with a simple guard block from the hilt of his

gunblade, as Yuffie slashed away the second arm. "Now it's got nothing on us. Let's

get 'im, Leon!" He nodded. "Yaaaah!" He swung at its leg, Yuffie charging magic

into her 4-point and unleashing it at the Armour. Leon slashed, gun blazing. Finally,

it groaned, collapsed and crumbled away, the heart floating into the open night sky.

"Phew! That was fun, Leon." Yuffie walked over, hugged him. "You're awesome.

Heheh." He sighed, wrapping the gunblade again. "You're pretty good... But

sometime you should try a sword. Maybe a katana?" He smiled at her reaction. "No

way! My ninja tools are good enough. And I always have my magic arts." She stuck

out her tongue, disappeared in a puff of smoke. He looked around. "Cmoooon! We'll

miss the dance if we don't hurry!" She was on the bike, of course.

Leon shouldered the covered blade, walking forward. His trenchcoat fluttered lightly

at the breeze.

"Sometimes... that little ninja can be such a handful."

She watched him as he came back to the Fenrir.

"Sometimes... he says a lot without saying much."

Cloud laughed, causing both of the girls to stare.

"Someone once told me that some things can't be said through words. That's all."

Yuffie looked at him, looked back at Leon's approaching shadow.

"Yeah... I think they're right."


	6. A Kiss

Leon, Yuffie, Cloud and Aerith pulled up in front of the Marketplace, glad to finally be there. "Ahh... we're finally here." Yuffie said, flopping into a nearby seat and grabbing some chips. Leon leaned next to her, lost in thought.

"Hey you guys, you finally got here." It was Riku. "Oh, you're the DJ for tonight, right Riku?" She grinned. "Yeah, I am. Got a request? She put her hand to her lip, thinking. "'Do you have that remix of 'Devil Inside' by Hikki?" He tilted his head.

"Uhmm... yeah, I think I've got that. If not, I definitely have the 'Passion' mix."

(Note: 'Devil Inside' and 'Passion' are copyright of Utada Hikaru, aka Hikki. 3)

"Soo... you gonna dance?" she asked Leon cheerfully, grabbing a potion and drinking it casually.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?"

She leaned the chair back, stretching. "Nope."

"Figures." he shrugged, as she grabbed his arm, pulling him into the crowd.

"If we're being honest, I prefer slow dances..."

"Oooh, you're a worse stiff than Cloud."

"I am not." He smiled, couldn't help himself. "Fine, I'll show you."

He took her hand in his, spun her around, catching her as he bowed to the left. He swung her under him, catching her hand behind him and turning. "See? I can dance. Now, can I go sit down?"

She looked dreamy. She shook her head, knocked on her neck. "No way! That was way cool. You should stay." He sighed. This was fun, he had to admit. And that outfit was... nice to look at. They danced together, Leon enjoying her company, in spit of himself.

Yuffie grinned. Why was he so reluctant? He needed to lighten up. Maybe she should spike his drink...

"Hey, Yuffie." She snapped out of her thoughts as Cloud and Aerith came over. She was clinging to his arm, like a happy little schoolgirl. "Isn't this fun?" Aerith asked cheerfully. Leon smiled slyly. "Yeah, I am actually having fun. How about you, _Cloud?_ You look like you've never been happier." Cloud was, in contrast to Aerith, a dark, well, cloud. "I'm not good in large crowds, _Leon._" He said through his teeth. "Oh? I never knew. You certainly enjoy _watching_ people dance." Leon said, grinning wickedly. "I'd also _enjoy_ cutting you in half, _Squall_." he hissed.

Yuffie watched with detached interest. Aerith hid behind Cloud. The two were shooting daggers. "Uhhm... this is boring... can we go see Riku, Leon?" The black-coated swordsman blinked. "Hm? Sure..." they walked away. Cloud took a deep breath. "One of these days..." He sighed, looked at Aerith. She kissed him on the cheek. "Cheer up, okay?" He burned red, nodded awkwardly. "Y-yeah."

As the night closed, the lights dimmed, and Riku announced the last song of the night, 'Butterfly'.

"Oooh! This is cool." Yuffie said, throwing her arms up happily.

'Ai ai ai, you're my little butterfly...'

Leon felt a light blush. He wasn't sure what Yuffie would expect him to do after the dance. Kiss her? Could he do it? "Hey, Leon. C'mon, dance!" He nodded his head, enjoying the song himself. '...Green, black and blue make the colours in the sky...'

But soon enough, it ended with a final bang. Cid, the supervisor, said into the speaker, "Thanks fer comin', everyone. Now get outta here. Oh, and donations fer the Hollow Bastion Restoration Comittee can be left by..."

As everyone dispersed, laughing and pushing, some putting on their own boomboxes and continuing their own personal parties. Cloud walked toward the bike, Aerith in tow. "You two coming?" Aerith asked, giggling. Yuffie jumped. "We'll be just a second." Cloud spoke without turning, "Have fun, _Leon_." he allowed himself a very small smile. They walked out to the bike.

"U-uhm... Leon..." Yuffie said, blushing, "Would it... be okay if I.. y'know... kissed... you...?" she trailed off, staring at the ground. He'll say no, ohh, he'll say no and laugh at how silly I am, she thought. Leon watched her. It couldn't _hurt_...

"Uhm... okay..." he looked anywhere but her. "I guess it's okay." Yuffie looked at him, blushing profusely. He looked at her and she leapt up, arms around his neck, and kissed him. Nothing fancy, just a nice simple kiss. The moment seemed to last much longer than it did. _She has soft lips,_ Leon thought impulsively. He felt something inside him awaken, something that calmed his thoughts. They broke apart, and she hugged him tightly. "You're awesome, Leon." He wasn't sure what to do, so he wrapped his arms around her delicately. "Give yourself some credit." he said. She shook her head, said quietly, "Don't need any. I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie."


End file.
